it's getting closer/final rehearsal

The tension is building and we are getting alot closer to the show!!!
We are doing amazingly, and we are really starting to live, eat, breathe our characters, the commitment is amazing.

This lesson we focused on the change-overs and more on our characterization. Well, Miss Goodall had the genius idea that we should have text messages up on the screen during the performance as if they were to us! Here are a few examples:

Danny had received a text from the oxford orthodontic university with confirmation of her appeal for work experience, but I don't particularly think it fitted as well as these messages. These messages send to us at the point in the opening scene where we look at our phones with a big grin and run off stage. 

This is the last rehearsal so it should have been perfect by now! Well I hope it was??

My targets for next week:

• Remember to keep up the energy
• Don't forget to follow on Kim's interpretation of Danny in act one
• Keep revising over my lines and notes, try to be as dedicated as possible by having extra rehearsals outside of class.

Rehearsal 5

Today we did another run through, which sadly could have gone better for myself and the class.

Firstly we did the change over in our scenes, Kimberley and I started with the idea of the hairband sharing in the plait; which eventually changed to the idea of passing on of the glasses, highlighting the stereotype-we agreed this worked really well. When we tried it with all of scene one and scene two I thought it looked fabulous!! I think that the audience will understand what we are trying to do and how this is significant to our character.

Although, today had limited success because of the lack of learnt lines. Let's just hope we all know them by next week!!

Targets for next lesson: 

• Know all my lines and the lines before and after me.
• Know who I am talking to and how to express my subtext within the lines.
• Practice the physicality of Danny offstage, try to think more like my character take myself seriously and never come out of role within theatre lessons.

*REMEMBER TO BRING PROPS*

Rehearsal 4

PROJECT CHARACTERIZATION IS WELL UNDERWAY! I have made some fairly large decisions to do with the representation of Danny.
Unlike the decisions made last week, deciding more is less simplicity is more important to do with showing this character and the scene changes. The idea was to do up a plait and swap hair bands in the scene change but we have decided to go for something more stereotypical to the character.
Glasses.
For the opening scene, using each other as mirrors and showing our morning routine of the whole, very long tooth process. (The decision was made that we would cut this and only use mouthwash). Though because the audience have seen a clip of our personalities in the opening section it's not necessary for them to see us exchanging teeth products in the scene change-over because it might come across a bit over the top. Although the glasses are rather significant to our figure because of the whole fact we are the 'nerds' of the group, and sets the stereotype feel.
I have further annotated my scripts from the analyzing I did with my group this lesson. They have also given me feedback and I am very pleased they think the way I portray my character works.

(What can I do to improve my character further?) Something I have learnt this lesson, and need to consider for the future is who I am speaking to. As well as knowing my own lines, I need to study the lines before and after me, knowing who I am speaking to and the purpose of my lines.

Rehearsal Three

Well Done team DNA! rehearsal three was definitely one to remember, being the first run through of the entire play. It was really impressive for the first time doing the entire thing.
The run through allowed me to explore, and take in help with how I should construct my character on stage.

At this stage I haven't made major decisions about the characterization of Danny, but I have made some decisions on my physicality. By looking at Kim's interpretation of the character, I think that the idea of Danny being quite timid but shriveled at the same time. We've decided on what our significant item is to show we are the same character is: a bag full of dental equipment (changed to glasses). We have also decided that we will both wear our hair in a side plait and wear a fringe, assuming it will be more emphatic if we looked similar.

I am on the way to learning my lines!  As I haven't had my script before Christmas  it's been rather difficult learning them but luckily I have friends who allow me to practice with them and their scripts in our own time! Should have them perfect by next week *fingers crossed*.

In terms of the entire run through, like I have mentioned little improvement has been made in terms to getting to know my character, because I am so sure with what I want to do with it anyway!? Also, the plot is so much clearer when it is being acted out, the story line makes more sense and the small things in act three (an example being the plastic bag) are much clearer. Whereas before I didn't understand where it came into context with the actual plot, now I see that it's actually meant to be for us to figure out?!

So far the play looks amazing, the characters that have been assigned to each of us are perfect. Once we learn our lines and pick up the pace, it will look even better!

During the run through, I particularly noticed all three of the Leah's! Even though they all have very contrasting personalities and ways of acting they managed to pull it off perfectly. Even taking into consideration that they had the largest parts, it was obvious that they had put in the most effort with all three of them nearly knowing all their lines perfectly!? By this already on the way to creating their characters in depth, actually very, very impressed!

I've lost my peer assessment sheet, but everyone did really well. The person I observed the most was Kimberly as I thought that it was her who would benefit the decisions I make about the character of Danny.

Writing in role

Since finding my writing in role from a few weeks ago, I have decided not to upload it!

Since recreating my character I have decided that the writing in role I did earlier in the term doesn't represent my character in the way I would liked it have to been represented.

Here is the new one I have written.

For God Sake.

This always happens?! I finally get my life sorted and I know what I'm doing with it and something has to fuck up, fucking typical.

Working my arse off since SATS just to keep my options open? I could have been a doctor, a lawyer and I still can. But NOOOOOO obviously not apparently, why am I even friends with these people?! I  have a future ahead of me, I can do better than this? No, I will stay calm and be the mature one in this situation. I always have to be the bloody designated driver out of my friends. I still don't get how I got mixed up in this with them. All they do is put me down anyway!? Know what, their opinion is invalid. They are irrelevant. I will stay calm and handle this. Be Mature. Be Mature. Come on Danny just stick with them till this over, you're with them or against them. Just a few more weeks and it will be over, just a few more weeks-patience is key beautiful. Shit. I'm talking to myself again aren't I? This is making me mad. They're making me go insane. HA. I knew, knew, knew this would happen! Why didn't I just listen to my parents when they said they were a bad influence on me. Right no. What am I saying? They're my friends. Stop being such a bitch and just breathe. Everything will be OK  You have amazing friends that will do anything for you. They'll get us out of this, I'll ace my a-levels and dentistry is right in front of me. I have this whole opportunity right infront of me! Life is my oyster. Breathe, shine those pearls. Shit, where's the mouthwash gone...where is it...oh my goodddddddd...everything's already going wrong. I'm hyperventilating... No this isn't even funny anymore where the fuck is my mouthwash. Brian probably drank it again er.



I wasn't in a majority of scene one's run through as I was rehearsing part one of scene two with Eloise (Leah) and Lauren (Lou), so unfortunately I am unable to give my opinion of this run through.

Before Show annotations!

FINALLY found my script after losing it before Christmas *sigh*
Here are a few pictures I've taken of my annotations and the changes I made when It came to the show!!

Of course I did these before, but when it came to the show I did change the way I'd originally planned to perform these lines! Whether that reason was for, tips of others? Or that I was attempting to follow up the very talented Kimberly in act one, these are some of the things I ended up doing on the night, contradicting with what's on the script!

Here is what I did (Changes to script):


Walking into scene with Lauren, hesitates when seeing Leah, knowing what is coming.


"They've found... They...Well they've found"  -I say this with a stutter, repeating the line few more times than in the script, you can tell that I'm panicking and fairly scared. Whereas before Lauren's "The Man" was an interruption, it was more a look to help. When finishing my line I look to Lauren as if to say I can't get it out so she should do it for me.

"Yeah, they've found the man" - at this point I am just agreeing with Lauren, almost looking to myself not  believing it myself.

"Yeah." Similar to the previous line, still reciting the event back to myself, unable to believe it; almost a heartbroken feel to the line.

"Yes." With the subtext of 'Yes, for fuck sake didn't I just say yes'?!

 "I heard his teeth are awful" Bringing the comicality into the performance, almost singing these lines. Adding the typical Danny-over obsessed with teeth personality Kimberly created in the first scene.

"Well there's the teeth as well" -with the subtext of 'how can forget the teeth?!' hyperventilating, by this point breathing heavily tightly grabbing Lauren.



"Oh my God" - Also following up Kim, sort of a singy line aswell?

"We can't do nothing they want Brian!" -Builds up to this point, clearly protective over Brian as she brings him up in previous lines. Cute and innocent before till it ends up on this line angry on this line.

"Is he serious" -The one question asked by Danny, similar to "is he taking the piss" in act one. The pause and sudden confusion/sarcasm.


I think I have really managed to explore my character and play with it!

continuing in rehearsals

We have managed to block all of our scenes and they look amazing!

I've thought more about the subtext of my character as well as contributing to others;
I will post scans of small annotations I have made during our rehearsal process.

I have also used assessment sheets, to talk about my peers which I have actually lost (sorry :( )

But I will carry on giving encouragement to my class in what we are doing.